The majority of this book was really slow and uninteresting. Added to the most un-relatable characters made this a struggle. Such a fun an interesting concept that wasn’t executed until the ending. That’s when things got really good and made the story (for the most part) worth it.

**2.5-stars rounded up**

This hurts my heart to not be giving this a higher rating. While I truly appreciate the topics explored here by the author, I can't say I enjoyed my time with it and I have to be honest. Otherwise, what are we even doing here? This just had way more of a Literary-feel than I am interested in, and for me, it lacked my number one desire, atmosphere. Overall, I was bored; really bored.

It didn't start out that way though. For the first 25%, I was definitely intrigued. We had met Max, the Horror director, and Sally, the actress with dreams of playing a Final Girl on the big screen. I did enjoy meeting them and was pulled in by the beginning of their stories.

Max ends up with an old camera that once belong to a deceased Horror director, who gained the level of a cult-like status. Max hatches a plan to utilize that camera to make his own infamous movie, pushing the limits of the genre. As Max begins to use the camera though, a dangerous power is revealed. Will he continue using it, in pursuit of his goal, no matter the risks? And will Sally get her dream of becoming the Final Girl?

Unfortunately, for me, the longer the story went on, the less interested I became. The devil is in the details, and IMHO, the details of this killed the story. It was slow-moving, bogged down by endless things I didn't care about. This is clearly a love letter to the Horror genre, and for that, I give it full props. I am, first and foremost, a Horror Lover, Reader and Reviewer. It's my roots.

I appreciate how DiLouie examined the genre, specifically its place within the movie industry, and how it is treated, viewed, etc., in comparison to other, for lack of a better term, more mainstream, genres. I could see this working very well for a niche market of film buffs, or even film students, as it does explore the industry deeply. For me it was just too subtle, slow, and by the time we got to the final showdown, too little, too late.

With this being said, the writing is strong, the characters are well-developed and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this story. It just sadly wasn't a story that was a good fit for my tastes. I would still encourage absolutely anyone interested in this synopsis to give it a try. I know a lot of Readers are going to love this, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if I end up in the minority opinion on it. Please take everything I have said with a grain of salt. It is just my personal experience.

Thank you to the publisher, Redhook, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this wasn't a great fit for me, I will absolutely be picking up more from this author!

4 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive. Or, an ode to 80s slasher movies and the directors who thought they could do better.

I loved Sally and wish I could have a book mostly from her perspective. I did like seeing the rapid descent into insanity that Max went through, though!
Max is a horror director who struck gold with a teen slasher flick ala Friday the 13th and just finished his third iteration of said series. When he notices people laughing and cheering in the theater, he deems current horror movies pedestrian and beneath him, so he sets out to create The Horror Film of All Time. What follows is a man's drive to be great overshadowing morality.

I think where the book lost me, and a point in the rating, is the weird way they brought the people back. Are they really back? Can only those who know about the camera see them? Are dead people walking the red carpet and doing interviews and everyone else in the world is like "oh, Jim is looking a little peaked today...he should get some rest" while Jim is actually holding his guts in with "rags."

I really liked Episode Thirteen and I'm glad I read HtMaHMaS, so I'm intrigued by DeLouie's writing. I think he is a phenomenal horror writer.

It's also super fun that two horror books about Horror Movies have come out so close together. Maybe books about making movies will be the next big trend for Horror.

This is all about the deadly determination of a prominent horror director and the drive of one actress set on being the ultimate final girl. And, after reading a couple books by this author, I can tell he definitely has a strong grasp of the horror genre in general and how to make it work for him! This was giving Heart Shaped Box, Schrader's Chord, AND Silver Nitrate vibes, while still being its own thing completely!!

Max Maury gets his hands on a piece of horror history that has some incredibly unique and horrific deaths attached to it. He has found a camera that caught some truly morbid events, and even though the piece of equipment comes with a warning, he knows he must use this camera to film his next masterpiece, consequences be damned.

Sally Price is an actress who meets Max at a party and is bound and determined to be in his next film. She knows she has what it takes... and they all get a little more than they bargained for in this fabulously 80's set book.

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie is a dark and delicious love letter to horror! As a hard core horror fan, I enjoyed reading this love letter to horror movies.... love letter to horror in general. I was impressed with the 80s noir vibe that was seamlessly present in this book. I also enjoyed all of the historical references to the genre as well as the way it paid homage to both the well and lesser known horror movies and books that are firmly rooted in the genre. With unique plot points and brilliant characters, How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive will creep you out, then make you smile, then creep you out again.

This was my second novel by this author and I am disappointed to say that I did not enjoy it as much as Episode Thirteen, which is the other work of theirs that I have read.

I was very wishy-washy with this book, sometimes enjoying it, sometimes feeling annoyed and just wanting to put it down. Someone who was reading a review copy at the same time as me described it as "a DIY manual" and I couldn't agree more. While I think that the plot and idea were very interesting and had a lot of potential, the execution was really not there. There was a LOT more film talk than I was expecting - which might be on me though, given the title - and the characters were completely unlikeable.

I definitely want to read more by DiLouie but unfortunately, this just was not it for me.

This book was pretty creepy. I loved the critic of the slasher films and our love it, while also poking fun at people who are like "real horror" fans who are just people who need to go to therapy. It is the perfect combo of creepy and thought provoking.

It does lose one star because the way the author wrote how women view sex just makes me go ugh. Also, the "bi" rep in this and the rep of women sexuality makes me want to throw up because it was badly done and lowkey insulting. I know horror gets a bad wrap from us because of how they write women, but dude. A straight girl doesn't become bi because she almost dies and gets drunk.

I was really looking forward to this release after loving Episode Thirteen, but I am sad to say that this left a lot to be desired.. I felt disconnected and found myself not drawn to pick this book back up. I feel like it got bogged down by too many technicalities of the movie making business. If you are a huge movie buff and love the intricacies of movie making this might be for you.

And my real issue? Killing the dog. Not cool...

Overall, this might not be the greatest fit for me personally, however there are other titles that I am looking forward to picking up from the author.

TW/CW: Language, death of parent, anxiety, death of animal, sexual harassment, gory scenes, blood

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Max Maury should be on top of the world. He’s a famous horror director. Actors love him. Hollywood needs him. He’s making money hand over fist. But it’s the 80s, and he’s directing cheap slashers for audiences who only crave more blood, not real art. Not real horror. And Max’s slimy producer refuses to fund any of his new ideas.Sally Priest dreams of being the Final Girl. She knows she’s got what it takes to score the lead role, even if she’s only been cast in small parts so far. When Sally meets Max at his latest wrap party, she sets out to impress him and prove her scream queen prowess.But when Max discovers an old camera that filmed a very real Hollywood horror, he knows that he has to use this camera for his next movie. The only problem is that it came with a cryptic warning and sometimes wails.By the time Max discovers the true evil lying within, he’s already dead set on finishing the scariest movie ever put to film, and like it or not, it’s Sally’s time to shine as the Final Girl.
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Cheesy b-movie feel

What I Didn't Like:
1. Book cover looks cheesy
2. Writing style is convoluted
3. Characters are annoying
4. Story is boring

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read.}}

How is the most anticipated horror movie a third movie in the series? I've never heard of people being on their seats for the third movie, unless it's fantasy. Or unless it's been 20 years since the last one.

In the beginning we meet Max Murray and he is the creator of the horror franchise. He then meet Jordan Layman who is the producer of the movie.

Okay so the first Jack the Knife came out in 1979 and it's 1988 so this is the third movie it appears like a new movie comes out maybe every 3 years.

The film synopsis for Jack the Knife;
Back in the fifties, a young man named Jack drove in a drag race on the Fourth of July. As a result of sabotage, he died in a fiery wreck. Decades later, he returns from the dead on Independence Day as an angry spirit of vengeance aimed at the town’s teens.
Weirdly enough in that synopsis it doesn't say that Jack was sabotaged.

Love that Sally passes out and rather than Nicholas telling Max where she lives he just let Sally go home with Max while she's passed out. I imagine that necklace knew where Sally lived.

Oh talking about Big Bear Lake - I just went there a few years ago for Thanksgiving. It's beautiful up there.

Omgosh this book keeps explaining what horror is but if you are already reading a book with horror in the title then you already know what horror is. It felt like it was over explained to you.

What is with this book and going to the 100,000 locations that Max goes to? We drive here and there and everywhere.

Final Thoughts:
I tried really hard to get interested in this book. It all felt basic and just there. I'll end up forgetting everything about this book in a week. Very meh feeling. I really tried to think about what I enjoyed about this book but ultimately I had to dnf it. It was so boring I kept waiting for something interesting to happen but Max just travels from location to location and we just keep getting this story he's writing inside the story, but it wasn't good. Like I said it all just seemed so basic. This is a story that maybe a new author would write in their first novel but this author has but has a lot of books.

I ended up dnfing it around page 175. I wanted to love this book honestly but after getting through Paul Tremblay's Horror Movie I can't suffer through another terrible book written about horror movies that's boring.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and Redhook for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh, how much I enjoyed this book! Max would not have approved because I thought it was hilarious. The horror movie tropes were all there. They were derivative and profitable. Max wants to direct truly true horror. Sally wants to be the Final Girl of the film. There is no way they can both get what they want. I loved this like only a true horror fan could. This is about the third book I've read about a cursed movie in the last month but they all have been done differently. Don't read to be scared. Read to see just what is going to happen next.

Oh my, where to begin with this book? Fair warning: spoilers immediately below... like, immediately.

First of all, the dog does not survive. Which is a massive bummer but if anyone was going to do that, it was Craig DiLouie.

When I read the premise for this book, I knew immediately it was something that was right up my alley. As a horror fan on page and on screen, I fell in love with DiLouie's novel "Episode 13". With an ability to write scenes that are full of tension, weirdness, and characters who's morals are definitely not in the right place, I figured "How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive" would follow very much in that vein.

We get our producer, who's down on himself over the fact he's producing cookie cutter Hollywood movies instead of the bone-chilling, deep rooted horror his mind is desperate to create. Add in a haunted camera that gives its wielder a power unknown, a party girl who wants her shot at final girl, and a tragic, horrific accident caught on said haunted camera and you've got a recipe for one hell of a book.

The premise was immaculate. This was one big love letter the slasher genre that emerged with movies like Scream, Halloween, and Friday the 13th. It took everything we loved about slashers, horror, gore, and the campiness of it all, and wrote one big ballad in form of Max salivating over his dreams. The plot did struggle at some points, but it did not disappoint or fail to entertain. I loved everything about this book - even how much I hated the characters at times.

If you're a fan of slasher movies, a horrific accident in the backstory, and a director's blood thirst to be the best, this novel is 100% for you.

A horror director stumbles upon a cursed camera and is inspired to make the scariest film of his life in How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive. Max Maury is at the top of his game, successful and popular with the freaks and geeks of Hollywood, and the third movie of his trilogy is a blockbuster. But Max finds himself feeling nothing but despair at the commercialization of his dreams and consumerism of the horror genre in general. Max sets out to make a truly frightening film, by any means necessary.

This was not the book for me. I had to keep forcing myself to pick it back up and I ended up not even finishing the whole thing. I gave up for good at 23%. The story is set in the 80s, but not even the nostalgia could keep my interest. I loved DiLouie's book Episode Thirteen, so I will definitely try more of his work in the future. I just couldn't stay checked in to this one, but fans of slasher movies and cursed objects may find more to like. Thank you to Netgalley and Red Hook Books for the review copy.

This certainly has been a year for horror books about horror films!

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive is author Craig DiLouie’s second foray in a row with writing Hollywood horror into an unsettling novel (Episode Thirteen is about a paranormal reality show). The blurb calls it darkly humorous, and it has its moments. The tagline for the book is, “Horror isn’t horror unless it’s real”. Make of that what you will.

The first 25% of this book was very wobbly for me. While I was invested in the story and intrigued by the characters, it felt like the pacing was off and like the tone of the novel wasn’t quite tuned. When the book found its footing I was very satisfied with everything about it until the last 20% of the book. Then it started to crumble again a bit for me and then limped a bit to the finish. I want to be clear: At no time did I stop reading this book. At no time did I think about DNFing. I was invested the whole time and felt compelled to finish. It’s a total page-turner. I just didn’t find the book as a whole to be completely solid. I think the issue may have been that the book was probably too long.

What I loved about this book was the sheer love of horror movies it showed as a whole. From quotes by famous movie directors to film references to on-page deaths that would be at home in a “Final Destination” movie, this book shows a deep and abiding respect for the horror genre, even for what came after the time period after this book is set in.

Craig DiLouie is a fantastic horror author and his books are always a great read. This one may not be 100% solid, but I still recommend it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Ghost Fiction/Horror/Occult Fiction/Occult Horror

4.5 stars

This was incredible. A love letter to the horror genre, specially the movie scene.

What I loved most?
- First of all, the structure of the story. I adored the divisions and the nods to famous directors at the beginning of each one.
- The writing. Craig DiLouie made magic. I truly felt like I was watching the hole story unfold. Very immersive and beautifully written.
- The characters. Loved Sally the most, but it was incredible how I was even invested in Max, he's not likable - in fact, kinda evil and really annoying - but so interesting.

What bothered me at times were the overwhelmingly long descriptions that bored me... It was a small minus though.

I did also find a couple of misspellings and words missing, but nothing big.

This was a fun, well written homage to slasher film and the horror genre. A slasher novel about a cursed object that also incorporates the behind the scenes of movie making was right up my alley and unlike anything I've read to date. I also loved the supernatural aspect of the owner being able to see the victims of camera. A great read overall.

A faltering horror director unknowingly unleashes real horror in an attempt to make a comeback.

I thought this was such an interesting premise, but the writing was really hard for me to get through! I also just didn't really like Max as a character, so it made reading his chapters harder.

So far it’s been a really good year for horror fans. And this is actually the second horror novel I’ve had the pleasure of reading where the story revolves around horror movies. Max Maury is a successful director of slasher films, but he’s not happy. Sure people love his films and the studios are pleased with the movie they are pulling in but he’s not satisfied. He wants to make art, make real horror movies. When he discovers an old camera with an rather interesting history, he decides he’ll use it for his next film. The problem? The camera just may be cursed, evil in and of itself. But perhaps it will allow him to film the scariest movie ever made. I have to say I really enjoyed the idea behind this one. From the plot to some of the odd characters there is definitely a lot to like here. And while some parts moved a bit slower than I’d have liked, the story still kept me engaged from start to finish. This was my first time reading Craig DiLouie, and I enjoyed it more than enough to take a peek at his back catalog and I already know I’ll be checking out some more of his work soon. (I’m looking at you Episode Thirteen!) I’d like to thank Redhook Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2M1IFF8E5W7CN/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

The concept is interesting, but an unlikeable main character and an excess of philosophical musings on the nature of horror made this a difficult read. It seemed as if the author wanted to justify (or at least explain) why the characters made the choices they did through the discussions about horror and its purpose, but it came across as rambling or, to be less generous, pretentious. While horror fanatics will appreciate the references and homages to classics, they may feel like the author is trying to convince them of what they already know about the genre.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. After reading DiLouie's previous book, I knew that this human could really spin up a story and I was excited to read their next work. When I heard that this centered around horror movies, though, I was a bit apprehensive--I tend to not enjoy stories that focus on horror movies/the 80s/etc. because they are just so full of references and naive protagonists that get stabbed because they're a mess, etc. However, I found that to really not be the case in this story. The "how to" aspect of the title is literally a part of the construction of the story, which was really cool. I will say, though, that I found the actual execution of this idea to be a little underwhelming. I think that the momentum of the story never quite found its stride--I was anticipating a sort of slow build to an intense climax, but we really didn't get that push or feel any intensity. Because of this, I was often a little bored/disconnected from the story in a way. I definitely felt aware that I was pushing through this story at all times because I never found myself really sucked in to the story.
I did think that the ending was interesting and redeemed the story a bit, and this was a super super cool concept for a book. So, for that I have given the story three stars. I'm interested to see what DiLouie comes up with next, because the concepts are all so interesting, so one of their books are bound to knock my socks off one day!

This likely comes as no shock, but I love books about the making of horror movies/shows and cursed films.
There have been some awesome ones as of late - Curse Of The Reaper, Mister Magic, Run Time, Burn The Negative, Night Film, Found - to name just a few.
Now add How To Make A Horror Movie And Survive by Craig DiLouie to the mix. Thank you to Hachette Books for the gifted review copy!
Director Max Maurey is best known for the Jack The Knife horror series. But it's not getting the viewer reactions he'd like. Horror shouldn't be laughed at, and Max wants horror to mean something.
Enter the Arriflex 35BL, the very camera used to film the ill-fated Mary's Birthday - a movie never released due to the on-screen deaths of several cast and crew.
Max has the cursed camera. And is making the movie If Wishes Could Kill with it. After all, as the cover states, horror isn't horror unless it's real.
I loved DiLouie's previous release, Episode Thirteen, and HTMAHMAS has made him an auto-buy author for me. This wink-and-nod to the horror film industry is a bit unconventional and all entertaining - recommended!
For release on June 18.